The Abbey of Cunault was founded in 847 by monks of Noirmoutiers (an island near Nantes) who had fled the Norman invasions. In 862 further incursions forced the Benedictine monks to flee to Tournus in Burgundy where they hid the relics of their patron Saint-Philibert. They returned during the 11th century and built a prosperous priory that remained under the control of Tournus.
The impressive Romanesque belfry, enlarged during the 15th century with a stone spire, is all that remains of the church built during the 11th century. The interior of the church is remarkable for the size and height of its 223 richly decorated capitals.
One of the lateral chapels contains the shrine of Saint-Maxenceul that was carved and painted during the 13th century. The four bells of the tower come from the cathedral of Constantine in Algeria.
References:The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.
The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick.